BE RECONCILED

Two brothers shared adjoining farms. For 40 years they worked side by side, sharing equipment and helping each other whenever needed. One day a rift developed. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by months of angry silence.

One day a truck pulled up at Pete’s house (the older brother). A man approached Pete carrying a carpenter's toolbox. "I’m looking for some work" he said. "Perhaps you have a few small jobs I could do for you?" "Well, yes I do," said Peter. "That creek down there is the border between my brother's farm and mine. He keeps it nice and deep to stop me from setting one foot on his farm. I want you to take that timber over there by the barn and build me a new fence, a real tall one, so I don't have to look over at my stinkin' brother and his farm no more."

The carpenter was glad to have the work, "No worries. Just point me to your post-hole digger and I’ll get the job done." So the carpenter set about working. Meanwhile farmer Pete drove into town to the local cattle auction. When he returned at sunset he was shocked to see what the carpenter had done.

There was no fence. Instead the carpenter had built a bridge and walking across it was Pete's brother. He held out his hand and spoke to his brother, "After all I've done to you I can't believe you'd still reach out to me. You're right. It's time to bury the hatchet.”

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Vine says this about the word translated “reconcile:” “properly denotes to change, exchange; hence, of persons, to change from enmity to friendship, to reconcile” (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p.260).

Paul states that we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Isaiah 59:1-2 states, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Sin has separated mankind from God. It has created a great chasm between man and God that man cannot cross.

Thanks be to God; however, He has extended His grace and mercy to sinful man to offer salvation. That offer is made through Jesus Christ. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through the sacrifice of His Son, God made possible our reconciliation with Him.
If we will be obedient to Christ (Hebrews 5:9), we can be reconciled to God, forgiven of our sins, and recipients of the promise of eternal life.
--Lamar